Inspection Summary Report - Bleary Primary School, Lurgan

Bleary Primary School, Lurgan

DE Ref No 501-1602

Inspection Summary Report - June 2026

The school’s vision was reviewed and updated in June 2025 and articulates an aspiration to develop the whole child in an environment that is cheerful, safe, nurturing, inclusive, stimulating and challenging. It is underpinned by renewed school values which, support the children to live out the Bleary Primary School motto ‘Believe, Persevere, Succeed’.
The priorities for development in the one‑year transitional plan are appropriate, have been informed by a range of qualitative and quantitative information, and are guiding well the work of the school to realise its vision.
Where the learning is most successful, the children build progressively on prior knowledge, demonstrate a clear understanding of the purpose of their learning through effective teacher explanation and modelling, make meaningful connections, and apply their learning in relevant, real-life contexts.
Outdoor play-based learning is a key strength of the school’s provision, offering rich, engaging and purposeful experiences that reflect the children’s interests.
The school demonstrates a strong and sustained commitment to emotional literacy and wellbeing, reflected in a cohesive whole-school approach to personal development.
Almost all of the children attain in line with, or above, expectation in numeracy, and most attain in line with, or above, expectation in literacy.
An inclusive ethos is embedded across the school, supported by effective pastoral practices and strong collaboration with external agencies to support the children with special educational needs (SEN). The school needs to develop a more systematic approach to monitoring and evaluating outcomes for children with SEN to measure impact, inform strategic planning and strengthen planning for learning, ensuring that provision is well matched to individual needs and improves further their outcomes and levels of engagement.
The school’s well-established Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics provision develops the children’s skills in exploration, investigation and problem‑solving, with success in national competitions further reinforcing their technical knowledge and confidence.
The children’s learning and wider experiences are enhanced through a range of competitions, charity work, school trips, local hospital and care home visits and participation in the Lurgan Show, where they have enjoyed considerable success.
The children have meaningful opportunities to express their views on aspects of school life and have contributed to, for example, the school’s updated positive behaviour policy and mental health awareness themes. These opportunities promote a caring and inclusive environment in which the children feel valued, listened to and supported, fostering a strong sense of ownership and responsibility.
At the time of the inspection, the evidence provided by the school demonstrates that the arrangements for child protection align to the current statutory guidance.

Next steps

The children in Bleary Primary School are happy and supported well to believe in themselves, to persevere in their learning, and to recognise and celebrate success in its many forms, in line with the school motto ‘Believe, Persevere, Succeed.’

The next step for Bleary Primary School is to take forward the following area for action: to improve the provision for the children with SEN.

As part of ETI’s routine monitoring processes, the District Inspector will monitor the school’s progress in addressing the area for action.